Monday, March 31, 2008

Friends Who Care

In Friends who care: A disability awareness program for elementary students, children with disabilities talk about their experiences at home, at school and in everyday life. Developed by the Easter Seals Society, this video was created to help non-disabled children understand and connect with their classmates. Families may also find it useful for helping siblings relate to a brother or sister with a disability.

Indiana residents interested in this video can contact us!

Not an Indiana resident? Click here to find it at your local library!

We also want to thank you for following our blog during Disability Awareness Month. Keep checking back: we may have run out of days in DA Month, but we haven't even come close to running out of books, videos and other resources to share with you!

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Kami and the Yaks


Kami and the Yaks written by Andrea Stenn Stryer and illustrated by Bert Dodson tells the story of a young Sherpa boy who is deaf and lives in the Himalaya. When he discovers his family is missing, he sets off to find them. Despite his fear of being alone in a fierce storm, Kami finds the courage to keep searching. This book has also recently won the Schneider Family Book Award. This award is given out each year by the American Libraries Association to three books that "emphasize the artistic expression of the disability experience for children and or adolescent audiences. The book must portray some aspect of living with a disability or that of a friend or family member, whether the disability is physical, mental or emotional."

Are you an Indiana resident interested in this book, contact us!
Not an Indiana resident, find this wonderful book at your local library.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Understanding Brothers and Sisters


Understanding Brothers and Sisters with Asperger Syndrome is a DVD that shows four programs for siblings of children with Asperger Syndrome and their parents. Each program covers a range of challenges and strenths, and describes techniques siblings can use to get along and support each other. Each program also has a range of age starting at 4 years old.

Coulter Video also has another DVD in this series on Understanding Brothers and Sisters with Autism. Check out their website to find out more information.

Interested in this video? If you're an Indiana resident, feel free to contact us.
If you're not an Indiana resident, find this DVD at your local library.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Children with Disabilities


Library Thinkquest has an informative, fun and interactive website on understanding children with disabilities. The site describes the characteristics and causes of autism, deafness and blindess. There is also a special section on Helen Keller, a colorful finger-spelling chart, a fun word search and quiz on Helen Keller.

Check out other websites by Thinkquest. ThinkQuest inspires students to think, connect, create, and share. Students work in teams to build innovative and educational websites to share with the world.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Disability Awareness Handouts for Children

Kathy Snow's Same and Different: Respect for All is a great PDF handout for teachers to share with children learning about disabilities. Written at a child's level, the handout explores the similarities between all of us and gives children tips on making friends with people with disabilities. The article also includes an author note with suggestions for how to use the materials and other activities to increase awareness.

Check out other materials by Kathy Snow at http://www.disabilityisnatural.com

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

What Teachers Need to Know Video Series


Asperger's -- What Teachers Need to Know. Many of the symptoms related to Asperger's are discussed to include the difficulties of transition and 'meltdowns', what triggers them and how they are dealt with, sensory issues and sensory integration therapy, and socialization are also covered. More importantly, throughout this documentary, we see the amazing capabilities of children and adults with Asperger's Syndrome.

Other topics included in this video series are Down Syndrome, Attention Deficit Disorder, Autism in the Classroom, Bipolar Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, and Dyslexia. Check out more resources at Education 2000 or World Educational Resources.

Are you an Indiana resident and interested in this video series? Contact us.
Not an Indiana resident, check out WorldCat to find a library near you that has this great series!

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Intricate Minds: Understanding Classmates with Asperger Syndrome

Coulter Video. (2005). Intricate minds: Understanding classmates with Asperger syndrome. Winston Salem, NC: Coulter Video.

Sometimes the hardest disabilities for kids to accept are the ones they can't see. Kids with Asperger Syndrome are often bullied and made fun of because their peers don't understand what Asperger Syndrome is. Intricate Minds is a great resource for teachers and parents to help kids in grades 6-12 have a better idea of what it is like to have Asperger's.

For more information about this film and a free discussion guide visit Coulter Video's website. Indiana residents who would like to check out this film can give us a call at (800) 437-7924. Not an Indiana resident? Find Intricate Minds at a library near you!

Monday, March 24, 2008

Smithsonian Exhibition



The Disability Rights Movement is an interactive exhibition created by the Smithsonian Institute. Based on the exhibition's touch-screen kiosk, the web page lets users navigate through the various sections via mouse. Once inside a section, users interact with multimedia used to tell the story of the disability rights movement. Clicking on an image presents it in a larger format, with detailed description in both text and audio.

Individual exhibits cover topics ranging from self definition to mobility and technology, and some exhibits provide video in addition to the images, audio and text. With such a wide variety of accessible content, the Smithsonian tells the story of America's disability rights movement in a powerful and compelling way.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Creating Partnerships


Communicate, Collaborate, Celebrate: Creating Partnerships between Physicians and Parents of Children with Disabilities by Judy O. Berry, Ed.D. This is a wonderful short publication on stories that endorse the positive benefits of support networks for families of children with disabilities. The author is concerned with the need for optimal communication between parents of children with disabilities and the physicians who provide services for these children and families. It was published by the Center for Learning and Leadership at the University of Oklahoma.

Indiana residents, interested in this book? Contact us.

Find this at your local library if you're not an Indiana resident.

Kid Ability


Flemming, M. (2001). Kid ability: One & two [DVD recording]. Cicero, NY: Program Development Associates. (Call Number: 19 .K53)

This DVD consists of two discs. Disc One is on Sensitivity Education in which the children host the video and educate themselves and the viewer about disabilities. Disc Two is on Assistive Technology and introduces the viewer to a few of the AT devices that kids might see being used in their school or community. Recommended for children and teens grades K-12. Kid Ability is distributed by Program Development Associates. For more information about their other resources visit them on the web.

Interested in this DVD? If you're an Indiana resident, contact us at cedir@indiana.edu.
Click here to find this item in your local library if not.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Awareness


Everybody's Different: Understanding and Changing Our Reactions to Disabilities by Nancy B. Miller & Catherine C. Sammons

This is an excellent book to help us enrich our interactions with people who have disability differences. The authors explore how our reactions to and beliefs about disabilities influence our progress toward an inclusive society and share their innovation approach to becoming more at ease with the concept of disability.

Are you an Indiana resident? Interested in checking out this book? Contact us! cedir@indiana.edu
Not an Indiana resident? Don't worry click here to find this book at your local library!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Different perspectives




Reflections from a Different Journey: What Adults with Disabilities Wish All Parents Knew

This book is written by 40 adults with disabilities and what it feels like to grow up with a disability and what their families and communities did to help them become successful. In a world of parenting books written mostly by professionals or fellow parents, this book provides a unique perspective from people with disabilities themselves.

If you are an an Indiana resident, contact us to check out this item. If you are a non-resident, find it at a library near you.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Song of Our Children


Song of Our Children is a documentary film about inclusive education of kids with special needs. The film vividly portrays the struggles and successes of inclusion by accompanying four students with disabilities, preschool through high school, who learn alongside their non-disabled peers. For a free resource & discussion guide, check out www.landlockedfilms.com.

If you're an Indiana resident and want to checkout this item contact us at cedir@indiana.edu or call 812-855-9396. Not an Indiana resident, check with WorldCat to find this film at your own local library!

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Fatherhood
















Father's Voices: Journey from the Heart fills a special space in the world of materials for parents of children with disabilities. More often than not, books and DVDs are written by or for mothers. This unique DVD by the Fathers Network showcases four dads and how their children have changed their lives.

Indiana residents may contact us at 812-855-9396 or at cedir [at] indiana.edu to borrow this item. Non-Indiana residents should contact their local libraries.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Voices from the Edge

O'Brien, R. (2004). Voices from the edge: Narrative about the Americans with Disabilities Act. New York: Oxford University Press.

When many people think of the Disability Rights movement the first thing they think of is the American's with Disabilities Act. At face value the ADA seems to be an expression of the goals of the disability rights movement. But what is the outcome of the ADA in the lives of people with disabilities? In Voices from the Edge Ruth O'Brien brings together personal accounts of discrimination and pairs it with legal as well as social research to paint a rich picture of how people with disabilities are being impacted by this law.

For an in-depth review check out Richard Scotch's for the American Political Science Association's Law and Political Book Reviews.

This book is available for checkout to Indiana residents by contacting us at cedir@indiana.edu. Not an Indiana resident? Find Voices from the Edge at a library near you with WorldCat!

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Aunt Katie's Visit


Banister, K.R. (2003). Aunt Katie's Visit. St. Louis, Mo.: Access-4-All, Inc.

Elementary School students everywhere will enjoy Katie Banister's Aunt Katie's Visit. This book lets kids know what a regular "day in the life" is like for Aunt Katie, who became paralyzed from the chest down in 1990. It also does a great job of teaching kids to see the person and not just the disability. This upbeat story is a great way to help kids be more accepting of others and foster disability awareness.

Want a sneak peak? Visit Access-4-All. Find Aunt Katie's Visit in a library near you.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Beyond Disability: The Fe Fe Stories

Beyondmedia Education. (2004). Beyond disability [DVD recording]: The Fe Fe stories. Chicago: Beyondmedia Education. (Call Number: 19 .B4)

In this award-winning 26 min. film, viewers get an inside look at how young women with disabilities see themselves and how they want society to view them. Beyond Disability: The Fe Fe Stories, gave the young women of the Empowered Fe Fes, a group from Chicago's Access Living, the opportunity to control how their story was told. To learn more about this project check out Jennifer Roche's interview with the Empowered Fe Fes about the making of this film.

Beyond Disability: The Fe Fe Stories is available for checkout for Indiana residents at CeDIR. Not an Indiana resident? Find this film at a library near you!

Friday, March 14, 2008

Ten Tips for Kids: Disability Etiquette

Ten tips for kids [CD-ROM] : disability etiquette. (2004). North Dakota : Kat Productions.

10 Tips for Kids: Disability Etiquette is a fun resource for use in any classroom or small group setting for kids k-6. This kit comes with a full color poster and a cd-rom with a 9 min. video as well as lesson plans, reproducible tip illustrations, an introduction to person-first language and links to other related resources. For a closer look at this kit visit Kat Productions.

Indiana residents who would like to check out this kit can call us at 800-437-7924. Not an Indiana Resident? Find Ten Tips for Kids: Disability Etiquette at a library near you.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Band-aides & Blackboards











Band-aides and Blackboards, a kid and teen friendly site designed by a nursing professor, helps children growing up with medical problems. The site gives kids a chance to read about others with chronic illnesses of all kinds and their experiences. There are age-appropriate stories about kids dealing with hospital visits, teasing, and siblings relationships The strength of this resource is the ability to meet kids on their level. Children may also submit their own stories, poems, and artworks for inclusion on the site.

The teen section is filled with nearly 50 stories written by teens about their lives and their health concerns, giving that hard-to-reach age group a chance to share experiences with each other.

The adult section of the site provides down-to-earth, non-academic information for parents and teachers: tips on coping, classroom activities, hospital orientation, and personal anecdotes.

Band-aides & Blackboards is a great resource for any child dealing with frequent health problems as well as for those trying to explain what chronic medical illness is like to those without disabilities.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Kellie's Book

Greenwald, K. (2008). Kellie's book: The art of the possible. Windsor, CA: Rayve Productions. (Call Number: 20.1 .G7)

In her autobiography, Kellie Greenwald shows readers life through the eyes of a writer, an artist, a student and a hardcore baseball fan. Her illustrations are vibrant and full of energy. Her book, much like her life, is a shining example of how much a person born with Down syndrome can accomplish.

If you think this book looks interesting, be sure to check out The Cedars of Marin. The Cedars provides residential care and day programs for adults with disabilities, including the program Kellie attends and writes about in her book.

Indiana residents who would like to borrow this book can contact us at (800) 437-7924. Not an Indiana Resident? Find Kellie's Book at your local library!

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

disaboom.com



The goal is simple: "Connecting The Millions Touched By Disability." Everything else about disaboom.com is amazingly thorough. They divide their site into three sections: health, living and community. Each section contains a ton of information in the form of articles, news, blogs and more. Things are well designed and easy to navigate, and there should be something here for almost everyone. Check it out!

Monday, March 10, 2008

The Key of G

Arnold, R. (2007). The Key of G. San Francisco, Lateral Films. (Call No. 20.1 .A7)

The Key of G follows the story of Gannet, known to his friends as 'G', as he makes the transition from living at home to living in an apartment with various artists and musicians that are his caregivers and friends. G's new living situation shows a successful example of supportive living and provides one alternative to institutionalization.

More information, including video clips and still images, is available from Lateral Films and PBS.

Indiana residents who would like to borrow this film can contact us at (800) 437-7924. Not an Indiana Resident? Find The Key of G at your local library!

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Skills for Healthy Living: Dealing with Disabilities

Discovery School.(2006). Dealing with disabilities [DVD recording]. Silver Spring, MD: Discovery Communications, Inc.
(Call Number: 19 .D4)

Many people's first disability awareness experience is in the classroom. In Dealing with Disabilities kids in grades 9-12 are introduced to teens living with physical disabilities and chronic illness in two short films. In the first film, Meeting the Challenge, students learn about ways kids with disabilities meet the challenges of a physical disability. In the second segment, Fighting for Air, students learn about the improvements modern medicine has made in treating chronic illnesses like asthma and diabetes, as well as the importance of taking medicines as prescribed and receiving regular medical care for chronic illnesses.

Discovery Schools has created a Teacher's Guide to help teachers develop lesson plans and lead discussion. Want to know if this video is right for your classroom? Watch this clip of the movie!

Want to borrow this film? Find this video at a library near you.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Raymond's Room

Dileo, D. (2007). Raymond's room: Ending the segregation of people with disabilities. St. Augustine, FL: Training Resource Network. (Call Number: 19 .D54)

At the heart of Disability Awareness Month is the desire to end the practice of defining people as their disabilities through eduction and public awareness. Raymond's Room looks at the ways in which people with disabilities are still segregated from the rest of society and why more than ever, disability awareness is needed.

Dale Dileo, author of Raymond's Room, is a well known advocate for people with disabilities and draws upon his 30 years of experience in the field as well as current research to offer a compelling look at the current status of people with disabilities and ways to improve it.

Want to know more? Listen to Mr. Dileo read the introduction to Raymond's Room. Indiana residents who would like to borrow this book can contact us at cedir@indiana.edu. Not an Indiana resident? Find Raymond's Room at a library near you.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Access and Opportunities: A Guide to Disability Awareness

Access and Opportunities: A Guide to Disability Awareness

This short guide to disability awareness is the 2006 revised edition produced by VSA arts, an international non-profit organization which promotes access and inclusion of people with disabilities in the arts. Included in the guide are:
  • brief overview of a variety of disabilities
  • suggestions for improving access to the arts and positive interactions for each disability
  • information resources
  • an introduction to person-first language
  • a brief look at the disability rights movement
Its convenient PDF format makes it easy to share with others and print off to have on hand. If you are interested in finding out more about opportunities for people with disabilities in the arts in Indiana, check out ArtsWork Indiana.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Sound and Fury

Weisberg, R. (2001). Sound and Fury. New York, Docudrama.
(Call No. 20.51 .S6)

Sound and Fury takes a close look at some of the major issues facing the deaf community. Should cochlear implants be used? What impact do they have on families and deaf culture? PBS has created an extensive website to support the film which includes lesson plans, background information about deaf culture and cochlear implants, a trailer and more.

Indiana residents who would like to borrow this film can contact us at (800) 437-7924. Not an Indiana Resident? Find Sound and Fury at a library near you!

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

CeDIR Citings March 2008 Newsletter

A new issue of CeDIR Citings is now available! This issue highlights family relationships with a focus on siblings. Also included is information about how Indiana residents can access InSPIRE, Indiana's Digital Library.

Kids with Differences: The Series


Decker, D. (Producer). (2005). Kids with differences: The series. Lake Oswego, OR: Arnold Creek Productions. (Call No. 19 .K537)

Kids with Differences: The Series has three great disability awareness videos on one DVD, included are:
  • More Alike than Different
  • Kids Just Want to Have Fun!
  • What's the Difference?
These short videos are a great way to help young children understand both visible and non-visible health differences. Each segment highlights different conditions and how we are all really more alike than different. These positive film focus on abilities and inclusion. Guides to each segment with discussion starters can be found at Arnold Creek Productions website.

Indiana residents interested in checking out this video can contact us at (800) 437-7924. Not an Indiana resident? Find it in a library near you with WorldCat!

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Medline Plus: Disabilities


Sometimes the hardest thing about doing a disability awareness activity is finding clear, concise, authoritative information about disabilities to share with your participants. Medline Plus: Disabilities is an excellent place to start. This website is administered by the National Library of Medicine, so you are sure find information you can trust! You will find information about:
  • Living with disabilities
  • related topics like learning disabilities, mobility aids, etc.
  • Links to resources in Spanish
  • Kids resources and more

Medline Plus is also a great place to find information about specific disabilities. Often you will find interactive tools to share, links to recent news stories and journal articles as well as links to clinical trials currently being run in an area. Looking for local resources? No problem! Check out GoLocal for a directory of local services.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Special Stories for Disability Awareness

Leicester, M. (2007). Special stories for disability awareness: Stories and activities for teachers, parents, and professionals. Philadelphia, PA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. (Call Number: 19 .L4)

Special Stories on Disability Awareness includes stories for children aged 4-11 about disability awareness and other issues that all children face, such as bullying, fear, feeling like you don't "fit in" and more. Each story is accompanied by discussion starters, suggestions for activities and handouts that can be used in class. This is a great resource to help teachers introduce the topic of disability awareness to their students!

CeDIR's lending library is open to all Indiana residents if you would like to check out this book, or any other title in our collection email us at cedir@indiana.edu


Sunday, March 2, 2008

Where's Molly


Daly, J. (2007). Where's Molly [DVD recording]. Larkspur, CA: SFO Productions (Call Number: 54 .W5)

This documentary chronicles one man's search for his sister, Molly, who disappeared when she was three years old. Upon the death of his parents he learns that she had been placed in an institution for people with developmental disabilities.

Not only does this film shed light on the effects of institutionalization on the whole family, but it also highlights the difficulties, due to privacy laws, siblings face trying to find their lost brothers and sisters . In the end, the documentary is more the a message of hope, it is a powerful rally cry for those advocating for the rights of the family members of those who have been institutionalized.

For more information visit the "Where's Molly" website. Want to borrow this film? Indiana residents can email us at cedir@indiana.edu!

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Disability Awareness - Do it right!


Johnson, M. (2006).Disability awareness - do it right!: Your all-in-one how-to guide: Tips, techniques, & handouts for a successful awareness day from the Ragged edge online community. Louisville, KY: Advocado Press. (Call Number: 19 .D5)

This guide to planning a successful Disability Awareness day,
produced by the folks at the Ragged Edge, helps its readers go beyond the popular "simulation" activities and put together a day that will facilitate awareness and discussion.

Included in this book are background article, planning checklists as well as step-by-step instructions for six different types of activities. It even gives advice on how to handle follow up discussion, organizers will find the information and participant hand-outs included to be an excellent tool for making their event fun and educational!

Indiana residents who would like to check out this book can email us at cedir@indiana.edu